1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air guide plate for automobile and a sealing structure, and in particularly to an improved structure of an air guide plate which is arranged at a front of an automobile and guides an air flow produced during driving of an automobile to a radiator, and an air guide plate having such an improved structure, and further a novel structure for sealing a gap formed between the air guide plate and an automobile part positioned around the air guide plate.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Generally, a predetermined gap or space, i.e., a designed gap is formed between automobile parts that are positioned close to each other, in order to prevent noise, damage and deformation of automobile parts, for example, that are caused by a contact of the automobile parts by vibration during driving (see JP-A-2007-55522, for example).
For example, at a front of an automobile, air guide plates for guiding an airflow produced during driving of the automobile to a radiator are disposed so as to extend in a front and back direction of the automobile in a state that the air guide plates are disposed between a shroud, which is disposed so as to cover sides of the radiator, and a bumper, which is positioned in front of the radiator, such that the air guide plates are opposed to each other in a width direction of the automobile, alternatively or in addition, such that the air guide plates are opposed to each other in a vertical direction. Between the air guide plate and various automobile parts such as a shroud, radiator, radiator support, bumper, bumper reinforcement, lower absorber, upper absorber, harness, various hoses such as a hose for air conditioner, which are positioned around the air guide plate, and another air guide plate that is adjacent to the air guide plate, the space as the above designed gap is formed.
However, when the gap is formed between the air guide plate and the automobile part, the air guided by the air guide plate leak or escape through the gap to the outside. As a result, the cooling efficiency of the radiator is deteriorated. Further, through the gap, hot air from the engine may be sent to the radiator side. It also poses a risk of deteriorating cooling efficiency of the radiator. Furthermore, due to the fact that the air leak through the gap between the air guide plate and automobile part, the aerodynamic performance may be deteriorated.
Conventionally, various cushioning materials such as sponge are disposed in the gap formed between the air guide plate and the automobile part positioned around the air guide plate so as to fill the gap, thereby sealing the gap between the air guide plate and the automobile part. However, the cushioning material is generally adhered and fixed by double-stick tape, for example, to the opposing portions of the air guide plate and the automobile part that are opposed to each other with the gap therebetween. Thus, if the gap has a relatively complex shape, for example, the adhesion of the cushioning material to each of the opposing portions of the air guide plate and automobile part would be varied. As a result, it may be difficult to secure the stable sealing properties. Further, the cushioning material may come off the air guide plate or the automobile part, when the air guide plate and the automobile part are displaced so as to separate from each other due to the vibration occurred during driving. In addition, there is another problem that a bonding process of the cushioning material is troublesome.
To prevent the air from leaking through the gap between the automobile part and the air guide plate, there is conventionally employed a structure in which a sealing member made of rubber or elastomer is integrally formed on an outer periphery of the plate body by co-injection molding. The sealing member integrally formed on the plate body is disposed so as to be in contact with the automobile part positioned around the air guide plate, under installation of the air guide plate to the automobile. However, the air guide plate used therein generally has a plate body made of resin material. Therefore, the air guide plate integrally including the sealing member made of rubber or elastomer is obtained by using two kinds of materials, i.e., rubber material or elastomer material and resin material. Thus, high cost of material is required for such an air guide plate. In addition, recycling of the air guide plate is troublesome, because the plate body and the sealing member need to be separated when the used air guide plate is reused.